Author Life
My writing helps people think differently.
I’ve been writing since I was a little girl. I studied English Language and Literature at Oxford University and set up a literary sheet for highlighting student work.
As well as my journalism, I’m proud to say I’m now an award-winning author and published poet and short story writer.
Bear Markets and Beyond: A Bestiary of Business Terms
A financial literacy guide with a twist.
Winner: Short Business Book Of The Year At The Business Book Awards 2021
Unicorns, narwhals, bear markets, cash cows and swans… they all appear in the global economic lexicon – but what do they mean and how do they affect our lives?
You’ll find some of the answers in Bear Markets and Beyond: A Bestiary of Business Terms.
This is a unique reference book intended to demystify the world of business. I came up with the idea, wrote the copy, negotiated the book deal and have been responsible for marketing the book to the world. Created with illustrator Dominic Bailey, and published by Portico, the witty guide is available globally.
It has featured in Fortune Magazine, Financial World, BBC, Brown Girl Magazine, Save the Student, Radio 4, NPR Marketplace, and even Sir David Attenborough wrote to us suggesting it was a field guide he could learn from. The book is a bestseller and was selected by former UK Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen as one of his 11 Books to Make You Think list. It has also been listed on the children's financial literacy guide on the London Stock Exchange website.
"Fantastic book. The judges all individually saw this as being the best book of the category. So, it was no difficult choice to decide it was the winner - it was just perfect in almost all respects. Very difficult to see how it could have been improved. Really clear, beautiful pictures, an excellent guide. Well done guys, really very, very good."
- Phil Renshaw, Judge at the Business Book Awards 2021
Short Stories
Carers UK Anthology: Keeping Connected, Keeping Well
I entered the 2018 Carers UK Creative Writing competition focusing on life caring for others. My short story Homeward Bound which was inspired by what happens in that period between working life and family commitments came highly commended by the judges and was chosen to be published in the charity’s anthology Keeping Well, Keeping Connected.
Poetry
100 Poems of Hope, Macclesfield Samaritans
Ouroboros, Theatre Deli
Imagining Multispecies Belonging: A Recipe Book
Spread the Word / London Wildlife Trust Anthology
Margate Bookie
Black in White
An illustration, creative practice offer and nature poem was published in Imagining Multispecies Belonging: A Recipe Book. The three pieces which focused on the idea of interspecies work and using birdsound as inspiration were published as part of work offered in the Collective Imagination Community
My comedic poem Me v Nature has been published in a nature writing anthology published jointly by London writers’ collective Spread the World and the London Wildlife Trust. The This is Our Place anthology celebrates diverse nature writing voices, reimagines how we live in London and reflects on our relationships with the world around us. My poem was considered of strong enough standard to be included and I have been described as a "new voice in nature writing".
My poem Model Minority was chosen to feature in The Open Arms published by Margate Bookie in 2022. I read my poem at the People Like Us event celebrating people of colour in media and marketing and it was described as a "mic drop moment".
My poem What You Saying? came highly commended in the Black in White poetry competition focusing on racism.
I've been featured on...
More inspiring than the book itself, if possible, is the journey that Shah went through to bring her project to fruition. Without the traditional publishing paths of literary agents, or trying to market this unusual book, the road to publication has its challenges.
Brown Girl Magazine